Remington vs Custom/7mm vs 300WinMag/What to do???

[Gaps]

Hey Everyone I am just starting out and have done a lot of reading on here and I'm looking for some advice and opinions. I'll try to keep this as short as possible. I bought my first two rifles last winter and I am addicted to long range shooting/hunting. I want to build a great hunting rifle that can hunt out to 1000yards and practice even further.

I bought a used Ruger M77 mark II in 7mm RemMag and put a Vortex Viper PST scope on it. It has a muzzle break and is supposed to be glass bedded and a trigger job. I would say the trigger is at 2.5#s. The rifle shoots better than what i expected. I have shot at rocks from 400 out to 960yards and is more accurate than i thought it would be. I haven't had time to put it on paper and see how well it groups, but I would be supprised if it was more than moa. The second rifle is a Remington 700 RockyMountainElkFoundation 300WinMag. It is stock. I bought because of the scope on it (Vortex Razor 5-20x50). I have not had time to shoot this rifle and I am not sure how it shoots.

Now I have learned some things I have decided neither of these rifles are my dream rifle so I was thinking, should I sell them both and the PST scope and then use that cash to build a custom? Should I keep the Remington action and Razor scope, have the action blue printed, and sell everything else to pay for the custom? What caliber should I build the new rifle with, 7mm or 300wm. Those are the two calibers I want to choose from. I don't reload right now but will do so down the road so I want the most accurate rifle that can shoot factory ammo and reloaded vld's down the road.

I live in the Phoenix, AZ area and was thinking about talking with the guys at phoenixcustomrifles.com. Or does anyone recommend another smith in the area? I am on a budget and would like to not break the bank. Thanks for your time and any suggestions that you have!!!

Not sure how to upload pics on here so here is a link to some pics.

http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/f...055/#post657884

 

[Dylan in AZ]

Re: Remington vs Custom/7mm vs 300WinMag/What to do???

Since you're on a budget, I would suggest having the 700 action blueprinted and sell off everything else besides the Razor and have a custom built. I would NOT choose a 7mmRM for my first precision rifle build though... If you can handle the recoil in extended shooting sessions then that is one thing, but there's not enough barrel life for a budget minded shooter. A 300WM would be a far better choice IMHO. If you want a 7mm cartridge though, look at the 284Win, since you have a long action. I'm still a BIG fan of the good old 30-06 so I would encourage you to think about one of them as well.

As for 'smiths, go ahead and use PCR. They're a couple of really nice guys that can answer any questions you may have! Their prices are very reasonable and they do excellent work with quick turn around time and great customer satisfaction.

Hope this helps!!

My best,
Dylan

 

[SSC]

Re: Remington vs Custom/7mm vs 300WinMag/What to do???

If you have the funds available.....

build a rifle around the 700 in a cartridge that will really reach out there (7STW, 300 RUM,....)

then..

buy a simple 223 bolt action rifle to give you a cheap practice rig.

Long range hunting/shooting is all about practice, practice, practice. You have to have trigger time to know for sure that that bullet is going to go where you want it. It doesn't have to be all on one rifle, that is why I suggested two.

Hope that helps.

 

[gl51virus]

Re: Remington vs Custom/7mm vs 300WinMag/What to do???

I would highly recommend PCR. Brad and Keith are outstanding. I had a Rem 700 customed in .308 with them earlier this year and have shot 1/2" groups at 200 yds with it.

 

[swampbuck]

Re: Remington vs Custom/7mm vs 300WinMag/What to do???

Honestly it doesn't sound like you are ready for a custom build yet. Out of your two rifles one you have never shot and the other you have just blasted at rocks with no paper.

You should really spend some time behind your guns. Your asking if you should do a custom build in 300 wm when you have not shot the one that you have????

Doesn't sound like you have the time to invest in this sport. I recommend that you give your self about 50 range sessions before you look at a custom. You will be able to judge a lot of this for yourself by then. You should also start reloading before you do a custom build. If you are going to shoot enough to justify a custom stick then the reloading will save you money in the long run and maximize your custom rig when you get it. In the mean time save up and walk before you run.

 

[Gaps]

Re: Remington vs Custom/7mm vs 300WinMag/What to do???

Thanks for all of the info...it looks like I'm leaning towards the 300 but I am not sold on it, still need to look at the ballistic charts more, especially with some of the vld and newer bullets out there...will the 300 have a better barrel life than the7mm? Either one I will put a brake on it. I am only in AZ October through March so that is why I haven't shot much at paper and can't until I get home. Its not a lack of wanting to shoot, it is that i cant because of my job. However, I do know that I want a custom and I am trying to get everything lined up so that when I get home the smith can start the work, if not sooner. It looks like I will talk to the guys at Phoenix Custom Rifles but I am still open to any other local smiths. For now I can only do one rifle but down the road I would like to get a .223 or similar to shoot

 

[Powder_Burns]

Re: Remington vs Custom/7mm vs 300WinMag/What to do???

Neck a 300WM to 7mm. Compromise isn't always a bad idea.

 

[Gaps]

Re: Remington vs Custom/7mm vs 300WinMag/What to do???

what about the idea of selling both rifles, selling the pst scope, and keeping the razor scope to put on a sendero that I would buy with the money from selling the rifles and scope? Hope I didn't lose you. Would I still need to get the sendero blueprinted? would a blue printed sendero be better or the same than if i just kept the action from the 300 that i have and built a custom from there?

 

[Dylan in AZ]

Re: Remington vs Custom/7mm vs 300WinMag/What to do???

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Gaps</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Thanks for all of the info...it looks like I'm leaning towards the 300 but I am not sold on it, still need to look at the ballistic charts more, especially with some of the vld and newer bullets out there...will the 300 have a better barrel life than the7mm? <span style="color: #CC0000">Absolutely.</span> Either one I will put a brake on it. <span style="color: #CC0000">That's the way to go on a mag.</span> I am only in AZ October through March so that is why I haven't shot much at paper and can't until I get home. <span style="color: #CC0000">You can shoot A LOT more if you buy a 308 instead...</span> Its not a lack of wanting to shoot, it is that i cant because of my job. However, I do know that I want a custom and I am trying to get everything lined up so that when I get home the smith can start the work, if not sooner. It looks like I will talk to the guys at Phoenix Custom Rifles but I am still open to any other local smiths. For now I can only do one rifle but down the road I would like to get a .223 or similar to shoot </div></div>As a beginner to the sport with several months away from the sport I am going to retract my previous statement and try to sway you away from your current caliber choices. Having a less punishing caliber will make shooting MUCH more enjoyable. I love recoil but it gets to be an annoyance very quickly. This is a sport where your abilities will dwindle if you do not practice often, and again, as a beginner, you NEED to be able to shoot as much as possible. Practice is the ONLY way to improve.

Here's why I urge you to look away from the 300WM/7mmRM: Barrel life and cost of match ammo. You will pay much more for good ammo in either of these calibers than you would compared to a 308. Lower cost of ammo is akin to more rounds down range.

And I have not forgotten about the purpose of this rifle so bear with me... I know you want to hunt long range, but hunting beyond or even near 1000 yards is an extremely difficult thing to do. I know we all dream of being able to put down that huge bull elk from a really fricken' long distance away, but the likelihood of it is that a shot such as that does not present itself very often due to line of sight issues. To compound that, many shooters aren't competent enough to take a PROPER shot at a game animal at that range. Getting to that point takes a ton of practice. Field conditions are rarely ideal, which adds to the difficulty. Plus, you will never have a solid shooting position as you will have at the shooting range. You're kidding yourself if you think it would be an easy feat... but I DO understand the interest.

I think you should take a good long hard look at a Rem 700P in 308 Win. Put your Razor on top of it and shoot the shit out of the barrel and THEN decide if you want to step up to the big guns. I would get the 700P in 308, get all set up for reloading and shoot the barrel out. This will give you time to learn marksmanship. DO NOT underestimate the 308. It's still a GREAT hunting caliber. And as a fellow AZ resident, I don't think I've ever been hunting in an area with enough room to really warrant a magnum chambering.

Like I said, invest in reloading gear and shoot the 308 barrel out. That's MANY thousands of rounds compared to a few thousand for the 300 and most likely less than two thousand for the 7mmRM. These are just my humble opinions, so take them with a grain of salt.

-Dylan

 

[Dylan in AZ]

Re: Remington vs Custom/7mm vs 300WinMag/What to do???

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Gaps</div><div class="ubbcode-body">what about the idea of selling both rifles, selling the pst scope, and keeping the razor scope to put on a sendero that I would buy with the money from selling the rifles and scope? <span style="color: #CC0000">I would prefer a 700P, because barrel flutes and stainless steel aren't my "thing" but to each his own.</span>Hope I didn't lose you. Would I still need to get the sendero blueprinted? <span style="color: #CC0000">It's best to shoot a rifle before determining if it needs work done. Blueprinting may or may not be needed depending on if the accuracy is good enough for you or not.</span> would a blue printed sendero be better or the same than if i just kept the action from the 300 that i have and built a custom from there?<span style="color: #CC0000">Same action and most likely the same outcome.</span></div></div>

 

[CaptRob]

Re: Remington vs Custom/7mm vs 300WinMag/What to do???

Send Derek (desert-rat) a pm he is a smith in your area.